U.S. patent number 7,035,634 [Application Number 09/829,887] was granted by the patent office on 2006-04-25 for in-flight e-mail system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Honeywell International Inc.. Invention is credited to David C. Hosford, Stephen E. Mead.
United States Patent |
7,035,634 |
Mead , et al. |
April 25, 2006 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
In-flight e-mail system
Abstract
Systems and methods for sending and receiving e-mail from a
terminal on a vehicle are provided. According to one embodiment, a
passenger in a vehicle, such as an airplane, has access to a
terminal and can send and receive e-mail messages between the
terminal and a first server located on the vehicle. The first
server wirelessly communicates e-mail messages with a second server
external to the vehicle. The second server is configured to send
and receive e-mail messages between the second server and a data
network.
Inventors: |
Mead; Stephen E. (Peoria,
AZ), Hosford; David C. (Phoenix, AZ) |
Assignee: |
Honeywell International Inc.
(Morristown, NJ)
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Family
ID: |
22722735 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/829,887 |
Filed: |
April 10, 2001 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20010036822 A1 |
Nov 1, 2001 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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60195771 |
Apr 10, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
455/431;
455/412.1; 709/206 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q
10/107 (20130101); H04L 51/38 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04Q
7/20 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;455/431,412.1,414.1,414.3,422.1,466 ;709/206,207,212 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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0 890 907 |
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Jul 1997 |
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EP |
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1096699 |
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May 2001 |
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EP |
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2347586 |
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Sep 2000 |
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GB |
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02-012551 |
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Jan 1990 |
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JP |
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WO 00 14987 |
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Mar 2000 |
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WO |
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Other References
Jameel A et al; "Internet Multimedia On Wheels: Connecting Cars to
Cyberspace"; Intelligent Transportation System, 1997 ITSC '97; IEEE
Conference on Boston, MA; Nov. 9-12, 1997, New York, NY. cited by
other .
Kylanpaa M et al; "Nomadic Access to Information Services by a GSM
Phone"; Computers and Graphics, Pergamon Press Ltd., Oxford, GB,
vol. 20, No. 5; Sep. 1, 1996; pp. 651-658. cited by other .
PCT International Search Report; Apr. 10, 2000 Priority Date; Apr.
10, 2001 International Filing Date; PCT/US01/11799. cited by other
.
ARINC, "Network Server System," ARINC Characteristic 763-1, Dec.
15, 2000. cited by other .
U.S. Appl. No. 09/475,337, filed Dec. 30, 1999, Hiett, John H.,
"Networking System for Mobile Data Communications". cited by
other.
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Primary Examiner: Escalante; Ovidio
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Abeyta; Andrew A.
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This Application claims the benefit of, and priority to,
provisional application Ser. No. 60/195,771, filed Apr. 10, 2000,
which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An e-mail system for use by a plurality of passengers in a
vehicle to exchange messages with a second server located external
to the vehicle and associated with a data network, each passenger
having access to a terminal, the e-mail system comprising: a first
server located on said vehicle, wherein said first server is
configured to transport e-mail between said first server and said
terminal; and a communications system configured to combine e-mail
from the plurality of passengers into a storage queue and to
transfer e-mail in the storage queue across a plurality of wireless
connections to thereby wirelessly transfer e-mail between said
first server and said second server while the vehicle is in motion,
wherein the plurality of wireless connections comprises an
immediate mode having a first cost associated with an allocated
block of data and a batch transfer mode having a second cost that
is lower than the first cost, and wherein the communications system
is further configured to transfer messages having a high priority
with the immediate mode, and to transfer messages having a lower
priority with the immediate mode if excess bandwidth exists in the
allocated block of data acquired for high priority messages, and to
otherwise transfer messages having a lower priority with the batch
transfer mode to thereby minimize the overall cost of operating the
communications system.
2. The e-mail system of claim 1 wherein: said communications system
is configured to deliver an e-mail offer to said terminal; and said
communications system is configured to selectively transfer e-mail
messages to said first server based upon requests from one of said
passengers in response to said e-mail offer.
3. The e-mail system of claim 2 wherein said e-mail offer comprises
a subject header identifying an e-mail available for upload, an
indication of who sent said e-mail, and a price for delivering said
e-mail to said terminal.
4. The e-mail system of claim 2 wherein said terminal comprises a
kiosk.
5. The e-mail system of claim 2 wherein said terminal comprises a
laptop computer.
6. The e-mail system of claim 2 wherein said terminal comprises a
keyboard.
7. The e-mail system of claim 2 wherein said terminal comprises a
personal digital assistant.
8. The e-mail system of claim 2 wherein said second server is
further configured to provide e-mail accounts for said users.
9. The e-mail system of claim 2 wherein said vehicle is an
airplane.
10. The e-mail system of claim 1 where: in said terminal is a
laptop computer configured with information identifying a home
e-mail sewer; said communications system is further configured to
route e-mail to and from said laptop computer through said first
server regardless of said laptop computer configuration; and said
first server emulates said home e-mail server.
11. The e-mail system of claim 10 wherein said second server is
configured to periodically poll said home e-mail server for inbox
messages.
12. The e-mail system of claim 10 wherein said second server is
configured to receive e-mail forwarded from said home e-mail
server.
13. The e-mail system of claim 10 wherein: said communications
system is configured to deliver an e-mail offer to said terminal;
and said communications system is configured to selectively
transfer e-mail messages to said first server based upon requests
from said passenger in response to said e-mail offer.
14. The e-mail system of claim 1 wherein: said communications
system is further configured to select one of a plurality of
wireless communication modes based on mode selection criteria.
15. The e-mail system of claim 14 wherein said mode selection
criteria comprises an increase in data throughput.
16. The e-mail system of claim 14 wherein said mode selection
criteria comprises a transmission cost associated with said
wireless communication mode.
17. The e-mail system of claim 14 wherein said mode selection
criteria comprises an amount a user is willing to pay.
18. The e-mail system of claim 14 wherein said mode selection
criteria comprises a time since a last transfer of data.
19. The e-mail system of claim 14 wherein said communication system
is configured to transfer compressed data.
20. The e-mail system of claim 14 wherein said communication system
is configured to transfer encrypted data.
21. The e-mail system of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle data
network configured to transport an e-mail message between said
terminal and said first server.
22. The e-mail system of claim 21 where in said vehicle data
network comprises a world wide web server.
23. The e-mail system of claim 21 where in said vehicle data
network comprises an e-mail server emulating an e-mail server
identified by said passenger.
24. The e-mail system of claim 1 wherein said terminal communicates
with said first server via a modem interface unit.
25. The e-mail system of claim 1 wherein said terminal communicates
with said first server via an in-flight entertainment system.
26. The e-mail system of claim 1 wherein said terminal communicates
with said first server via a wireless interface unit.
27. A method of transporting a plurality of e-mail messages between
a server on a data network and a plurality of terminals on a
vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: receiving each of the
plurality of messages from the plurality of terminals in a storage
queue on said vehicle; determining a priority of each of the
plurality of messages; selecting a wireless transmission mode for
each of the plurality of messages from a batch mode having a first
cost and an intermediate mode having a second cost for an allocated
block of data that is greater than the first cost, wherein the
wireless transmission mode is selected to be the immediate mode if
the message is an urgent message or if excess bandwidth exists in
the allocated block of data, and otherwise selecting the batch mode
to thereby minimize the overall cost of transporting the plurality
of messages stored in the storage queue; and transporting each of
the plurality of messages between said storage queue and said
server using each of the selected transmission modes to thereby
minimize the overall cost of transporting the plurality of messages
stored in the storage queue.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein said selecting step further
comprises determining the selected one of the plurality of
communications modes based upon mode selection criteria.
29. The method of claim 27 wherein said selection mode criteria
comprises increasing data throughput.
30. The method of claim 28 wherein said selection criteria is an
amount of data accumulated in the queue.
31. The method of claim 28 wherein said selection criteria is a
cost of said wireless communication mode.
32. The method of claim 28 wherein said selection criteria is an
amount said user is willing to pay.
33. The method of claim 28 wherein said selection criteria is a
time since last communication.
34. The method of claim 28 wherein said establishing step further
comprises the step of determining when to initiate said
communication mode.
35. The method of claim 28 wherein said message is compressed.
36. The method of claim 28 wherein said message is encrypted.
37. A digital storage medium having computer-executable
instructions stored thereon, wherein said computer-executable
instructions are operable to execute the method of claim 28.
38. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of transporting e-mail
between said second server and a data network further comprises an
e-mail retrieval step wherein an e-mail message is transmitted to
said second server.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein said e-mail retrieval step
further comprises the step of polling a home e-mail server by said
second server and retrieving said e-mail message from said home
e-mail service.
40. The method of claim 38 wherein said e-mail retrieval step
further comprises said second server receiving e-mail forwarded
from a home e-mail server.
41. The method of claim 38 further comprising the step of
establishing an e-mail account for said user.
42. The method of claim 41 further comprising the step of receiving
an e-mail message sent to said e-mail account.
43. The method of claim 38 wherein said step of transporting e-mail
between said second server and said first server further comprises:
the step of providing an e-mail offer to said terminal; the step of
receiving a request to upload a selected e-mail message; and the
step of providing said requested e-mail message to said
terminal.
44. The method of claim 43 wherein said step of providing said
e-mail offer further comprises the step of providing a subject
header identifying an e-mail available for upload, an indication of
who sent said e-mail, and a price for delivering said e-mail to
said terminal.
45. A digital storage medium having computer-executable
instructions stored thereon, wherein said computer-executable
instructions are operable to execute the method of claim 43.
46. The method of claim 27 further comprising the steps of: said
first server receiving information identifying a home e-mail server
from said terminal, wherein said terminal is a laptop computer;
directing said laptop to said first server regardless of said
identifying information; and said first server emulating said home
e-mail server.
47. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of transporting a
message between said terminal and said first server further
comprises transporting said message via a vehicle data network
comprising a world wide web server.
48. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of transporting a
message between said terminal and said first server further
comprises transporting said message via a vehicle data network
comprising an e-mail server emulating an e-mail server identified
by said terminal.
49. The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of
communicating between said terminal and said first server via at
least one of the following: a modem interface unit, an in-flight
entertainment system, a wireless interface unit; and a kiosk.
50. A digital storage medium having computer-executable
instructions stored thereon, wherein said computer-executable
instructions are operable to execute the method of claim 27.
51. A method of minimizing the overall cost of transferring a
plurality of messages between an airborne saver and a terrestrial
server, the method comprising the steps of: combining at least a
portion of the plurality of messages from a plurality of customers
into a storage queue; selecting one of a plurality of operating
modes for transferring each of the plurality of messages in the
storage queue based at least in part upon a priority of the
message, wherein the plurality of operating modes comprise an
immediate mode having a first cost associated with an allocated
block of data and a batch transfer mode having a second cost that
is lower than the first cost, wherein the selecting step comprises
assigning messages having a high priority to the immediate mode and
assigning lower priority messages to the immediate mode if excess
bandwidth exists in the allocated block of data, and otherwise
assigning lower priority messages to the batch transfer mode; and
transferring the messages in the queue using each of the plurality
of operating modes.
52. The method of claim 51 further comprising the step of charging
a fee to the user for transferring the email message, wherein the
fee for using the immediate mode is greater than the fee for using
the batch mode.
53. The method of claim 51 wherein the selecting step further
comprises considering user criteria in selecting the one of the
plurality of operating modes.
54. The method of claim 53 wherein the user criteria comprises a
cost of sending the message.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electronic mail systems. More
specifically, the present invention relates to methods and systems
for delivering electronic mail between users in a vehicle and
others outside of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, electronic mail ("e-mail") has become a prevalent
form of communication. Because e-mail is typically fast,
convenient, and easy to use, e-mail has become a popular media for
communications in both business and personal settings. In
particular, travelers often use e-mail when they are away from
their home or office to keep in touch with family, friends, or
business associates. A number of techniques for obtaining e-mail
even when a traveler is away from the home or office are known in
the prior art. For example, various telephone or other data
connections allow e-mail users to "dial up" a remote e-mail server
to send and receive messages, as appropriate. Sophisticated
internet service providers ("ISPs") often provide local dial up
numbers for users traveling to remote locations. Although such
numbers are convenient, they are often unavailable while a traveler
is on an airplane, boat, train, bus, car, or other vehicle. When a
traveler is on a long airplane flight (while traveling across the
continent or across an ocean for example), he or she may be away
from his or her e-mail for a prolonged period of time.
Telephone connections from airplanes to the ground have been
available for some time. Such connections have been used to place
modem connections from, for example, notebook computers carried by
passengers on the aircraft to remote servers for data connections
such as e-mail, network access, and the like. Phone connections
presently available on aircraft and other vehicles, however,
typically exhibit a number of marked disadvantages. First, such
connections are frequently expensive because they require dedicated
channels on satellites or other very expensive communications
channels. Moreover, phone connections currently available from
airplanes are subject to the noise and connection loss problems
associated with wireless communications and phone connections may
be cumbersome for most notebook computer users because the
configurations and other technical requirements may be
non-intuitive or unavailable to most users. Additionally, the
bandwidth provided by most telecommunications links from aircraft
is frequently very low, e.g., on the order of 2,400 bits per
second. Such slow data transfer rates are often unsuitable for many
applications, including web surfing and e-mail exchange. It is
therefore desirable to create an e-mail system that allows users to
send and receive data (such as e-mail) while traveling on a vehicle
such as an aircraft, without the expense, configuration overhead,
and bandwidth restrictions imposed by systems available in the
prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Systems and methods for sending and receiving e-mail from a
terminal on a vehicle are provided. According to one embodiment, a
passenger in a vehicle, such as an airplane, has access to a
terminal and can send and receive e-mail messages between the
terminal and a first server located on the vehicle. The first
server wirelessly communicates e-mail messages with a second server
external to the vehicle. The second server is configured to send
and receive e-mail messages between the second server and a data
network.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
The above and other features and advantages of the present
invention are hereinafter described in the following detailed
description of illustrative embodiments to be read in conjunction
with the accompanying drawing figures, wherein like reference
numerals are used to identify the same or similar parts in the
similar views, and:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary e-mail system;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary ground based server;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary vehicle based server;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for retrieving
e-mails; and
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for sending
e-mails.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
The present invention may be described herein in terms of
functional block components and various processing steps. It should
be appreciated that such functional blocks may be realized by any
number of hardware and/or software components or computer systems
configured to perform the specified functions. For example, the
present invention may employ various computer systems, e.g.,
personal computers, workstations, routers, gateways, and the like,
which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one
or more microprocessors or other control devices. Similarly, the
software elements of the present invention may be implemented with
any programming or scripting languages such as C, C++, Java,
Assembly Language, PERL, or the like, or any combination thereof,
with the various algorithms being implemented with any combination
of data structures, objects, processes, routines or other
programming elements. Further, it should be noted that the present
invention may employ any number of techniques for data
transmission, signaling, data processing, network control, and the
like.
It should be appreciated that the particular implementations shown
and described herein are illustrative of exemplary embodiments, the
invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention
in any way. Indeed, for the sake of brevity, conventional data
networking, application development and other functional aspects of
the systems (and components of the individual operating components
of the systems) may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the
connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are
intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or
physical or logical couplings between the various elements. It
should be noted that many alternative or additional functional
relationships, physical connections or logical connections may be
present in a practical electronic mail system.
To simplify the description of the exemplary embodiments, the
invention is frequently described as pertaining to an electronic
mail system for an aircraft. It will be appreciated, however, that
many applications of the present invention could be formulated. For
example, the present invention could be used on any sort of vehicle
such as an airplane, helicopter, aircraft of any sort, boat, ship,
bus, train, or automobile. Similarly, the architecture and
techniques described in the present invention may be useful for
applications other than e-mail. The dual server architecture could
be used to implement, for example, web browsing, application
serving, or any other purpose. Further, although the invention is
frequently described herein as being implemented with TCP/IP
communications protocols, it will be readily understood that the
invention could also be implemented using IPX, Appletalk, IP6,
NETBIOS, OSI, or any number of existing or future protocols.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic mail system
suitable for use with a vehicle such as an aircraft. With reference
to FIG. 1, an e-mail system 100 suitably includes a ground server
106 communicating with a vehicle server 110 that is located on a
vehicle such as an aircraft. Although the vehicle server 110 is
described as being located on a vehicle, it is understood that the
vehicle server is associated with the vehicle in such a way that it
moves with the vehicle. For example, the vehicle server and other
devices on the vehicle, or portions of thereof, can be located
either on the interior or the exterior of the vehicle. Users 114
(shown as User1 114A, User2 114B and User3 114C in FIG. 1) suitably
send and receive e-mail by communicating with vehicle server 110,
which communicates with ground server 106 via a communications link
108. Ground server 106 relays electronic mail messages between
vehicle server 110 and a data network 104, such as the Internet. If
User 114 has a home e-mail server 102 (such as an ISP account or a
corporate e-mail account) ground server 106 may receive e-mail from
the home mail server 102, via network 104. Vehicle server 110 may
not necessarily remain in constant communication with ground server
106, but may rather establish data link 108 intermittently as
appropriate and as described more fully below. In determining how
to connect to ground server 106, vehicle server 110 may consider
selection criteria such as: the amount of data required to be
transmitted, the urgency of the data, geographic location, data
type, and other factors as appropriate. These and similar selection
criteria suitably assist in selecting an appropriate communication
mode from among the various options discussed herein. When data
connection, 108 is established by vehicle server 110, the type and
duration of the connection may be selected so as to minimize the
total cost of the connection, or to maximize the total data
throughput of system 100, as described more fully below.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary ground server 106.
Although server 106 is often referred to herein as a "ground"
server, it should be noted that this is simply a term of
convenience, and that ground server 106 may be located on the
ground, in the air, on a satellite, or in any other location
external to the vehicle. With reference to FIG. 2, an exemplary
ground server 106 suitably includes a mail server 202 in connection
with network 104, an account server 204, a billing server 206, and
one or more interfaces 208 to data connection 108. Network 104 is
any sort of data communications network such as the Internet, the
Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), a corporate network, an
intranet and extranet, a private data network or any other sort of
data network. Mail server 202 is a computer system such as a UNIX
workstation, mainframe, minicomputer, personal computer, or the
like that is capable of exchanging electronic mail with other mail
servers on network 104. For example, mail server 202 may be a
computer or workstation running the UNIX, LENIX or Windows NT
operating system with daemons, processes, applications or other
mechanisms supporting the Simply Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) as
described in Internet Request for Comments (RFC) 821, the Post
Office Protocol (POP3) described in RFCs 1081 and 1082, and the
Internet Mail Application Protocol (IMAP4) described by RFC 1064
(all of the aforementioned RFCs are incorporated herein by
reference). Mail server 202 suitably exchanges electronic mail with
other mail servers on network 104 as appropriate and as described
herein. For example, mail server 202 may transmit and receive
e-mails with other SMTP servers on a TCP/IP based network such as
the Internet. Mail server 202 suitably communicates with an account
server 204, a billing server 206, and various data communications
interfaces 208. It will be appreciated that the logical
functionalities shown in FIG. 2 may be combined onto various
computer systems in any way. For example, a single computer could
support account server 204 and billing server 206 in various
embodiments. Alternatively, clusters of computers could be used to
create backups, redundancy, load sharing, or firewalling in some or
any of the functionality's shown in FIG. 2.
Various embodiments of mail server 202 suitably include an e-mail
storage database, a collection of user e-mail accounts, and/or
virus/spam detection and elimination processing, for example. An
e-mail storage database associated with mail server 202 may be
configured to store messages for various system users that have
been retrieved from the users' home systems via network 104, from
remote vehicle servers 110 (FIG. 1), from e-mail clients on system
104, or from any other source. In such embodiments, accounts on
ground server 106 suitably store messages for a particular user
that may be retrieved via network 104 or via one or more vehicle
servers 110, as described more fully below.
Account server 204 suitably communicates with a database 210 to
maintain information about system users. Information that may be
maintained in database 210 includes payment information (such as
credit card information including credit card numbers and
expiration dates), e-mail account information (such as mail server
addresses, account names and the like), billing information,
address information, and the like. Billing server 206 suitably
maintains billing records for each of the users 114 of the
system.
Interfaces 208A and 208B (as well as any additional interfaces 208)
suitably transport data between ground server 106 and a datalink
108 (FIG. 1). Interfaces 208 include, but are not limited to
communications devices described herein. Exemplary data interfaces
include interfaces to ground satellite units, Gatelink units, and
the like, as described more fully below. E-mail for the various
users 114 may be received at mail server 202 from network 104 in
any manner. For example, a user 114 may configure his or her home
e-mail server 102 (FIG. 1) to forward e-mail messages received to
an appropriate account at mail server 202. Alternatively, mail
server 202 may periodically poll home mail server 102 to obtain
e-mail messages, using, for example, the POP3 protocol. If home
mail server 102 is concealed from network 104 by a firewall (not
shown), POP3 queries from mail server 202 to home mail server 102
may be obscured. In such cases, access to the home mail server 102
may be provided through a conventional virtual private network
(VPN) or by allowing communications from mail server 202 to home
mail server 102 to pass through the firewall, (for example by
editing router access controls on the POP3 port between the two
servers). In any case, mail is provided to mail server 202 through
retrieval by server 202 or forwarding from home mail server 102, or
by any other suitable technique.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary vehicle server 110. With
reference now to FIG. 3, an exemplary vehicle server 110 suitably
includes a network server unit 302, one or more interfaces 308 to
data link 108, and one or more other interfaces to user 114. User
114 suitably interfaces to vehicle server 110 through any sort of
terminal such as a notebook computer, personal digital assistant,
kiosk, In-flight entertainment system, wireless terminal, direct
connection terminal, or any other device. Users 114 with laptop
computers 306 may suitably connect to network server unit 302 via a
central telephony unit 304 which may in turn communicate with a
modem interface unit (not shown) to exchange data between passenger
laptop 306 and network server 302. Other options for connecting to
network server 302 include connecting via an in-flight
entertainment system (IFE) 312 (such as an IFE presently found on
many aircraft) via an in-flight entertainment system 310.
Alternatively, a wireless terminal (such as a mobile terminal based
upon any operating system, such as the Windows operating system,
available from the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., or Palm
operating system available from Palm, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif.)
may be provided to users 114. Wireless terminals 316 may connect to
network server 302 via wireless interface unit 314 (such as an
802.11-compliant Cabin Wireless LAN Unit communicating with laptop
306 or a handout device via a PCMCIA WLAN card, a Modem/WLAN
bridge, or a Ethernet/WLAN bridge). Alternatively, and in various
embodiments, users may connect to network server unit 302 via a
direct connect terminal 318, which may be a kiosk or other data
access point on vehicle. Of course other techniques and mechanisms
for connecting to network server 302 could be formulated in various
embodiments of the invention. In an exemplary embodiment, a user
114 with a laptop computer 306 suitably plugs the modem port of the
laptop 306 into a data jack (such as an RJ11 or RJ14 data jack)
commonly found on many aircraft in conjunction with in-flight
telephone services. The data jacks associated with the in-flight
telephone services may be coupled to the central telephony unit
304, which in turn may be coupled to a modem interface unit (not
shown) that is capable of translating the modem signal tones
generated by the modem in passenger laptop 306. The modem interface
unit may then act as a translator in providing data from passenger
laptop 306 to network server unit 302. After the laptop computer
306 is connected to the data jack, a user may instruct the modem to
dial a phone number, which may be provided by aircraft personnel,
by the in-flight entertainment system, or by any other information
providing source. The phone number may be interpreted by the CTU
304 as directing the data connection to modem interface unit which
in turn will connect the laptop to network server unit 302. Network
server 302 may be a conventional network server unit such as a
server in compliance with ARINC Standard 763 (dated December, 1999
and incorporated herein by reference) such as those available from,
for example, Honeywell Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., or from any other
source.
A user with a laptop or other terminal can, in one embodiment,
connect to network server unit 302 without modifying or adding to
the user's e-mail client software. Connection without modification
of software can be made possible in one embodiment by configuring a
Domain Name System server application on network server unit 302.
For example, an Address record could be configured with a wild-card
("*") to cover any possible passenger laptop Domain Name
configuration. This record can suitably redirect communications to
SMTP and POP3 proxy server applications on network server unit
302.
Network server unit 302 may act as a world wide web server, for
example, and may serve a web page to an internet client on laptop
306 such as Netscape Communicator (available from the Netscape
Corporation of Mountainview, Calif.) or Internet Explorer
(available from the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.). In
such embodiments, network server unit 302 may provide a web based
e-mail client to laptop 306 that is easily operable by user 114
without requiring any software additions or modifications on laptop
306. Alternatively, (or in addition), network server unit 302 may
emulate a mail server such as the mail server to which laptop 306
is configured to receive e-mail. For example, if laptop 306 has an
e-mail client that is configured to receive e-mail from "ISP
Mail.com" using a specified user ID and password, network server
unit 302 may capture the request for a connection from laptop 306,
and may respond to the request with an affirmative response,
effectively emulating the mail server at ISP mail. com, from the
viewpoint of the user's mail client.
Network server unit 302 may also contain processing functionality
for establishing a connection 108 with ground server 106 in such a
manner as to minimize the cost of the connection. For example,
network server unit 302 may queue outgoing e-mail messages from
various users, until a specified amount of data has been received
or until specified period of time has elapsed. As discussed more
fully below, various connection techniques are available, and each
connection technique has varying parameters in terms of cost
geographic location, message type, and bandwidth availability.
Network server unit 302 may provide an optimization algorithm such
that mail is transferred on a need basis, to reduce cost, or on any
other basis. Commercial e-mail protocols are not typically designed
for wireless communications because, for example, they are
typically less secure, and typically have smaller bandwidth. In
various embodiments, network server 302 may suitably overcome these
weaknesses by compressing and/or encrypting data prior to transfer.
Suitable compression algorithms include LZW, LZ-78 and the like.
Suitable encryption algorithms include DES, RSA, and the like.
Various techniques or communication modes for transporting data
between vehicle server 110 and ground server 106 and vice versa
include Gatelink Data Communications (such as IEEE 802.11-based 2.4
GHz Gatelink system available from Honeywell Inc. of Phoenix,
Ariz.), satellite communications, UHF/VHF communications to
ground-based antennas connected to the North American Telephony
Standard (NATS) network, and others. The Gatelink system is a
wireless data communication system available at several airports
worldwide. The system includes the capability to transfer data
rapidly and at relatively low cost via a wireless link, but
typically only when the vehicle is within a relatively close
proximity to a base receiving station (e.g., an aircraft terminal).
In many conventional implementations of the Gatelink system, an
aircraft should be within 1,000 or so meters of a terminal gate to
successfully transfer data.
Communications via a satellite data unit suitably transfer data
from the vehicle to one or more satellites, such as those
satellites in geo-synchronous orbit provided by, for example, the
Inmarsat Corporation of the United Kingdom. At least two modes of
communication are available via satellite, including the "Data 3"
mode, which is a packet mode data delivery mode providing
approximately 1,000 bits of data for a fixed cost (e.g.,
approximately twenty-nine cents) and with "circuit mode", which is
a connection-based transport mode typically used for voice
connections. Circuit mode connections may be charged a connection
fee (presently on the order of $3.00 per connection) plus a "per
minute" fee presently on the order of $4.50 per minute (relegating
its cost effectiveness to bulk data communications). Circuit mode
SDU communications are typically limited in bandwidth to
approximately 2,400 bits per second.
The North American Telephone System is a radio based system that
may be connected to a central telephone unit (CTU) on the aircraft,
which talks to one or more ground stations located throughout the
continent. Although the NATS system provides improved bandwidth as
compared to the SDU communications (e.g., on the order of 4,800
bits per second) connections are still typically relatively
expensive (e.g., on the order of $3.00 per connection plus $2.00
per minute). NATS communications are not typically available
outside of North America or over the oceans. The SDU communication
systems also provide a CN50 mode which is a broadcast only mode
(e.g., aircraft can only receive CN50 data, and cannot transmit
CN50 data). Although CN50 broadcasts are less expensive than
traditional NATS or SDU communications, bandwidth is limited to
approximately 2,000 bits per second. As can be readily appreciated,
each of the communication modes currently available between
aircraft and the ground are expensive and slow. Various
embodiments, however, optimize the various forms of communication
available to server 302 to combine data communications between
users, where appropriate, or to otherwise reduce the total cost of
the overall e-mail system 100. These economies of scale can be
passed on to the individual users, who may be charged a lesser
amount than if they were to create a direct SDU or NATS circuit
mode connection to their home mail server 102.
User 114, in one embodiment, suitably signs up for an account on
e-mail system 100. This sign-up process may suitably occur after
initial connection, to network server unit 302. However, sign-up
could take place through other electronic connections, or through
off-line modes such as registering via paper mail. In various
embodiments, e-mail system 100 prevents user 114 from working
"on-line" other than signing up for an account until user 114 has
signed up and completes a e-mail system login/authentication
process.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary process 400 for retrieving
e-mail. With reference now to FIG. 4, an exemplary process 400
suitably begins with a user 114 connecting to network server unit
302 and logging in/authenticating with the system 100 (step 406).
If the user is not registered with system 100, user 114 may be
prompted to enter billing information (such as credit card numbers
and expiration dates) as well as user ID account information, and
information about the users home mail server 102, as appropriate
(steps 402, 404). Steps 402, 404, and 406 may be processed using an
e-mail message system, or through an HTML/Web interface, or through
another interface. During the authentication process 406, network
server unit 302 may establish a connection to account server 204
which may verify user 114's account in database 210. If the user is
authenticated or otherwise permitted to use the system, account
server 204 may send a return packet to network server unit 302, and
the transaction may proceed. User 114 authentication, in various
embodiments may satisfy authentication purposes both for working on
e-mail system 100, and for accessing home e-mail accounts. In other
embodiments, separate authentication steps may be required and may
take place at different times and may be performed multiple times
as appropriate. However, in other embodiments, user 114 does not
have to take authentication steps more than one time per session if
multiple messages are received and sent in one session.
Headers and/or e-mail messages for user 114 may then be retrieved
from that user's account on server 202 in various embodiments.
E-mail messages are obtained via mail server 202 from user 114's
home mail server 102, as described above (step 408). In various
exemplary embodiments, initially header information such as "from",
"subject", date sent, and other information as appropriate may be
retrieved from each message on server 202 and provided to user 114
as appropriate (step 410). This header/summary information may be
provided in the form of an e-mail or HTML offer allowing user 114
to selectively chose e-mail messages for transmission from mail
server 200 to network server 302 and thus to user 114. This offer
suitably allows user 114 to determine whether he or she wishes to
read each individual message before paying the cost to transport
the message across data link 108. It may also allow the user to
avoid transfer costs for "SPAM" or other unwanted e-mails. In an
exemplary embodiment, server 202 suitably formats an e-mail message
with summary information about the messages stored in the user's
account. The summary message may be in ASCII, HTML, or any other
format, and may be a "reply" message to a previous "offer"/summary
message.
In various embodiments, network server unit 302 prompts user 114 to
indicate which inbox e-mail messages headers are to be offered to
user 114. For example, all in-box messages could be selected for
offer to user 114. Alternatively, only new in-box messages,
messages within a limited number of days, and/or messages with high
priority could be selected. Similarly, other e-mail identifying
information could be used to limit the number of headers offered to
user 114. Furthermore, user 114, in various embodiments, may
request that mail server 200 periodically poll home e-mail server
102.
Preferences regarding the selection criteria for retrieving in-box
messages can be entered through web based applications, via e-mail
client applications, or similar methods. E-mail client applications
are applications such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, cc:mail,
Lotus Notes, and Pegasus. In an e-mail client application, server
302 suitably sends e-mail messages to user 114 welcoming user 114,
providing help options to user 114, and providing options such as
those discussed above for selecting in-box headers to be offered.
By replying to an e-mail containing a desired option, user 114
indicates which services are desired and server 302 carries out
those instructions. For example, if reply is made to an e-mail
message requesting periodic polling of the user's new messages,
first an e-mail may be suitably provided to user 114--a reply to
which allows user 114 to turn off the periodic polling. Second,
e-mail at user's home e-mail server is periodically copied to
server 200 and new e-mail is offered to user 114. In a web based
application, similar information can be requested from user
114.
In an exemplary embodiment of an e-mail client application, each
offered e-mail message is in itself an e-mail message which can be
selected for viewing by replying to that e-mail. If user 114
desires to download one or more messages (step 412) then the
messages are retrieved as appropriate (step 414). In an exemplary
embodiment, offered e-mails may also be selected for upload.
User 114 may be prompted (for example by an application running on
network server unit 302 or via the e-mail message described above)
that if user 114 is willing to wait for a certain number of minutes
until a batch process can be initiated, the cost may be reduced.
Furthermore, if a user insists upon establishing an immediate
connection, server 302 may use the opportunity to transfer any
other messages and/or headers that may be awaiting delivery while
the connection is opened. In other embodiments, messages are
retrieved immediately (step 414)(such as via a SDU or NATS
connection). User 114 is billed as appropriate (step 416).
Of course other techniques for obtaining mail from mail server 202
to user 114 can be formulated, all within the ambit of the present
invention. For example, various embodiments of the inventor include
data encryption and/or compression for information transferred
between ground server 106 and vehicle server 110. Furthermore,
after retrieving one or more messages, the process can
alternatively repeat by returning to step 408. In addition, user
114 can, in some embodiments, reply to an e-mail in a process
similar to the process described below for sending an originally
composed e-mail.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary process 500 for sending an
e-mail. With reference now to FIG. 5, an exemplary process 500
suitably includes authenticating user 114 as an approved and valid
user of system 100, as described above in connection with FIG. 4.
New users may also be processed as described above (steps 402, 404,
406). To send a message, user 114 first establishes a connection
with network server 302 as described above. In various embodiments,
authentication and connection establishing steps may be skipped if
user has already signed on and established a connection during this
session.
User 114 may suitably compose one or more e-mail messages to be
sent, and/or reply to e-mail messages received. The mail client
application used by user 114 suitably provides one or more messages
to be sent to the network server unit 302 (step 508). The network
server unit may then select an appropriate communication mode and
an appropriate time to transmit the message(step 509), and transmit
the message to the ground server 106 (step 510). For example,
network server unit 302 may place the message into a storage queue,
and may process the message as part of a batch operation after a
certain number of data bytes have been collected or a certain
amount of time has past. Alternatively, if the message is
determined to be of high priority (for example indicated as such by
the user) network server unit 302 may open a direct connection to
ground server 106 via, for example, an SDU or NATS connection.
Ground server 106 may deliver the message to the intended recipient
as appropriate (step 512). Billing for the "send" transaction (step
514) may reflect the type of connection and the urgency of the
delivery requested by the user. User 114 may switch between sending
and receiving modes without going through the login/authentication
steps 406 more than once per session.
In an alternative embodiment, e-mail system 100 establishes a
temporary home e-mail account for receiving responses to e-mail
sent during that trip. In other embodiments, attachments may also
be sent and received by e-mail system 100. In one embodiment, user
114 is prompted to chose between receiving an e-mail with or
without its corresponding attachment. In an e-mail client
applications, for example, an e-mail offering without attachments
is provided as well as an e-mail offering with attachments. User
114 can indicate which viewing is desired by replying to the
appropriate e-mail. Furthermore, various billing schemes may be
formulated without departing from the scope of the invention. Users
of the system may be billed according to any basis, such as: (1) a
flat fee per day/week/month/year; (2) a flat fee per message; (3) a
flat fee per byte, word or other measure of data transferred; (4)
according to the time of actual connection; (5) according to the
type of connections established; or (6) according to any
combination of the above schemes, or any other scheme.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts and equivalents of
all elements in the claims below are intended to include any
structure, material or acts for performing the functions in
combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.
The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended
claims and their legal equivalence, rather than by the examples
given above.
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